Austrians' desire to travel remains unbroken in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. This summer, 67% want to travel, which is more than last year (65%). Three recent IHaM studies have examined the topic of "holidays and shopping" from different angles:

Study 1 shows the "trade off" between travelling and shopping, or the shift in importance and ultimately spending from retail purchases to holiday trips. 44% of Austrians would rather spend their money on a summer holiday this year than on shopping. And 29% are saving on their retail purchases in order to be able to travel in the summer. "The study results show that retail dynamics must not only be viewed in isolation, but also in connection with other economic sectors - especially tourism," explains Prof Dr Christoph Teller, Head of the Institute of Retail, Sales and Marketing (IHaM).

Study 2 shows that one in six Austrians will not be able to afford a holiday trip this summer due to the wave of inflation. In households in the lower income quartile, one in three will have to forgo a holiday trip. "The ongoing travel boom in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic also has a downside," summarises Dr Ernst Gittenberger from IHaM.

Study 3 shows the positive influence of holiday trips on shopping behaviour. Sun, beach and that holiday feeling - and therefore plenty of time and positive emotions - boost the shopping mood and therefore also shopping expenditure, which is forecast to increase by +9% to a total of € 1.13 billion during summer holidays (at home and abroad). "If people are going on holiday this year - and this applies to 67% of Austrians - then they won't be cutting back on shopping in their holiday destination," summarises Professor Dr Christoph Teller.